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Chesley high school closing ceremony today

This Thursday will be a memorable - and an emotional - day in Chesley as students, former students, teachers, office staff and the community bid farewell to secondary education in Chesley.

On June 15 at 1:45 p.m. in the school's gymnasium, a farewell to Chesley District High School will be held.

It's ironic that the farewell event is being held in the school's gymnasium - a gymnasium which exists only because of a huge outpouring of community support back in the 1990's. Hundreds of people worked tirelessly to see the completion of the Phase 3 Project which resulted in the building of a new gymnasium, library resource centre and cafeteria expansion.

No one who campaigned, volunteered or worked on the Phase 3 project ever dreamt that someday there would be no more high school education in Chesley, But sadly, that day has come.

The high school program at the school is ending at the end of this school year - a decision made by Bluewater District School Board trustees earlier this year. High school students from Chesley -- who numbered about 150 this year -- will attend schools in Hanover, Walkerton, Owen Sound and Port Elgin in the fall, while the Chesley District Community School (CDCS) will remain as a junior kindergarten to Grade 8 school.

Sadly, this is not the first time Chesley has experienced a school closing.

In 2003, the Chesley Public School was closed and students at what was then known as Elderslie Central School were joined by Chesley Public School students to form a new elementary school called Kinghurst Community School.

In the fall of 2014, after extensive and costly renovations, the Chesley high school building became a Junior Kindergarten to Grade 12 school when BWDSB trustees voted to close Kinghurst Community in June 2014.

I was never fortunate to be a student at any of these Chesley schools, but my husband and our two children are CDHS graduates. They have often shared stories with me of the good times at CDHS, one of the smallest in size, but biggest in heart schools I have ever been in.

During my 30+ year newspaper career in Chesley, I was at Chesley District High School, as well as Chesley Public, Elderslie and Kinghurst schools a lot, taking photos of student and team accomplishments and activities. I was warmly welcomed on each and every visit whether it was to see baby chicks in the kindergarten room, science fair projects, track and field days or the yearly Commencement exercises.

I'll always cherish the conversation I had one day in January 2005 with a young student at Kinghurst Community School. The Chesley Enterprise, where I worked as editor, had just closed its doors and this young student came up to me in the school hallway and said "I'm sorry the newspaper is closing, Mrs. Enterprise!"

I may never been a student at CDHS but I, like many other Chesley residents, am sad to see the end of the Cougar reign.